Greetings
to all from Hartford, Connecticut, USA. Here is
your issue of eNewsletter 10. I hope all is
well and that you are enjoying this wonderful summer. |
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Camp
Jewell
Over
the course of three summers, I spent many days
and nights photographing the kids, staff, and
sights of Camp Jewell, an overnight summer camp
-copy-eNew.jpg)
in
Colebrook, Connecticut. Out of that emerged the
photo essay "A
Day at Camp Jewell". Here
are a few photos from that piece.
Everyone
at camp was preparing for an upcoming carnival, including
this counselor. She had just stuffed a pillow under her
shirt and was letting her campers apply the "makeup".
What followed was something like a feeding frenzy, with
everyone wanting a turn at painting her face. This lasted
only a few minutes, however. When she realized the
kids had no intention of stopping, she announced that she
was covered with enough paint, and calmly walked away.
-copy-.jpg) There
are no people on staff who act
as dining hall waiters. That work is done by
campers, with the position rotating
from child to child. The waiters pick up food from the
kitchen, go back for refills, then sweep their areas after
the hall clears out. On this particular day, I watched
a young waiter scurry to and from the kitchen, efficiently
carrying out his duties.
-copy-eNewslett.jpg)
Camp
Jewell ends each day with its traditional "Devotion".
This is a nonreligious ritual held nightly in every cabin.
The kids brush their
teeth, change into pajamas, then gather together in a circle.
The counselor lights a few candles and
begins talking. This starts
a process
of quiet self examination for both the counselor and
his or her group. Almost everyone seems to consider this
a very
special time of the day. |
NEW
STUFF
NEW
REP - Well, I finally did it. I got myself a Rep.
She came highly recommended, a nd I can understand why.
She is handling a lot of my business tasks much better
than I ever did, allowing me to concentrate more on
my photography. Here is the contact information
if you would like to touch base with her:
Susan
Duhaime
860-642-7294
spduhaime@snet.net
NEW MACHINE - My old fax machine died a few weeks ago. My plan was to replace
it with just another fax machine, but then I did some research. For about $240
(my old, fax-only machine cost me over $400), I found a unit that was a combination
fax-scanner-printer-copier. I had always been hesitant about purchasing a "multi-machine",
thinking that each function's capabilities would be compromised. But this machine
works very well and has saved me quite a bit of money on new hardware purchases.
NEW DARTBOARD - I was at a tag sale the other weekend and, for a dollar,
bought a mini dartboard with five mini darts. I put it on my desk, next to
my monitor. Now, when I need a break, I don't have to leave my chair. |
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How
I Made This Photo
The
location for this shoot was the very large lobby of an
office building. As I first walked through it,
I noticed several intriguing places where I thought I
might position the subject. So, using my -cop.jpg) assistant
as a stand-in, I posed him in these areas as I would
the subject. When
I lined up a shot of him in front of this mobile, I knew
we had our location.
The
mobile, which I thought was stunning, hung in front of
a beautifully textured wall. Window light provided a
good bit of background illumination, but the mobile and
the subject would need to be lit. This
could be done rather simply by lighting each with its
own strobe.
The
most interesting problem, however, was deciding how
exactly to arrange the subject with the mobile, while
also showing off a portion of the wall. I decided
to keep his head and shoulders more towards the corner
of the frame. Positioning him like this worked well
for three reasons: 1-he was in the foreground; 2-the
background was interesting but not overpowering;
3-his head and shirt nicely contrasted with the muted
tones of everything else.
I shot several variations of the arrangement, including this one, where I
shook the camera as I pressed the button. This resulted in the daylight-lit
areas becoming blurred while everything lit by the strobes remained tack sharp.
Both the client and I were very pleased with the results. |
 A
tripod is great for keeping a camera rock steady.
But it can be quite cumbersome to lug around
all day. A good alternative, for many situations, is
a monopod, which is essentially a one legged tripod.
Though not as stable as a tripod, it is much steadier
than hand holding the camera, and is very easy
to master after just a little bit of practice.
Whatever brand you purchase, however, be sure it comes
with a head that will allow the camera to tilt from
horizontal to
vertical.
A ball head is great because
it can lock the camera into almost any position.
And, by the way, monopods make great hiking sticks.
Is
This A Joke?
A lawyer, defending a man accused of burglary, tried a creative defense:
"My client merely inserted his arm into the window and removed a few trifling
articles. His arm is not himself, and I fail to see how you can punish the whole
individual for an offense committed by his limb."
"Well put," the judge replied. "Using your logic, I sentence the
defendant's arm to one year's imprisonment. He can accompany it or not, as he
chooses."
The defendant smiled. With his lawyer's assistance he detached his artificial
limb, laid it on the bench, and walked out. |
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